Autism rate in US 2015: affects 1 in 45 children; overdiagnosis, environmental factors or the government just got it all wrong?

• comments
• 
• 

A new government estimate reveal that autism cases in the U.S. are increasing with one in every 45 children diagnosed of the developmental disorder.

According to the Washington Post, the figures in 2011-2013 wherein 1.25 percent (one in 80) of American children from three to 17 years old were diagnosed of autism has gone up by around 80 percent in 2014. This is based on the latest National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which involves parents of 13,000 children.

This alarming rate of autism among American children could be attributed to environmental factors that affect the children's brain development according to experts, but there are also those who simply dismiss it as a case of over diagnosis.

However, the researchers of the study are not discounting the fact that the sudden surge in number could be due to a change in the survey format, Forbes reported. For the 2011 to 2013 questionnaire, the question on whether the children were diagnosed of autism or not came after the question on whether the child has developmental delay. In 2014, the order was reversed.

This simple modification could have caused the number to rise because the question on autism diagnosis was now emphasized and given higher priority when it was placed before the question about the developmental delay.

Meanwhile, these children, according to the data, are also most likely to exhibit co-occurring conditions like learning disabilities, which is the most common at 62.6 percent, and followed by attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD at 42.8 percent. Most of these children needs special education and early intervention services, while few others could have trouble in their hearing and sight.

The results also show, just like in the previous surveys, that most of the children being diagnosed with autism are male with two parents and with at least one of the parents having more than a high school education.

There has always been more boys diagnosed but the recent study shows that the gender gap is slowly closing in. In 2014, 75 percent were male while 25 percent were female, as compared to 81.7 percent to 18.3 percent ratio in 2011 to 2013. Most of the children diagnosed were non-Hispanic white living in large metropolitan areas.

Michael Rosanoff, an epidemiologist and director for public health research for the advocacy group Autism Speaks, said in a statement that "the earlier [these children] have access to care, services and treatment, the more likely they are to progress."